The Zoo
The zoo in Rivne is definitely one of the best places to visit with a whole family. It was founded in 1982 and nowadays it can boast wide variety of flora and fauna from all over the world. Here guests can find more than 150 species of animals and over 130 kinds of plants. In Rivne zoo, you will see funny monkeys, elegant deer, powerful buffalos, exotic camels, large bears, tigers, diverse birds and reptiles. The zoo is also notable for its beautiful cascade of artificial waterfalls and lovely fruit garden.
Amber Museum
Rivne Amber Museum, founded in 2010, is located into an interesting building constructed in the beginning of the XX century. It is one of the most popular touristic places to see in Rivne. The museum was opened on the base of amber factory. Here visitors can see a great collection of beautiful gemstones, some of which are 40 million years old. The exposition also includes amber stones with 10 million year old insects inside. Besides, the museum has a shop where guests can buy unique jewelry with ambers.
Maria Rivnenska Monument
Maria Nevitska (Rivnenska) was the wife of the duke Semen Nevitsky – the former owner of the city. In the XV century, she put many efforts to make a small village Rivne into a flourishing city. After the death of the duke in 1481, Maria started to rule the city on her own. In that time, locals began to call her Maria Rivnenska (“Maria of Rivne”). It is very likely that Maria was the one who attained Magdeburg right for the city. She also could possibly be one of the founders of the first Christian church in Rivne – wooden Resurrection church. Nowadays, the gorgeous Resurrection cathedral is standing on that place.
Resurrection Cathedral
Resurrection cathedral, constructed in the XIX century, is one of the brightest landmarks of the city, impressing with its architecture and history. In the Soviet times, the cathedral hosted atheism-related museum exposition. After the Soviet Union had collapsed, the cathedral was given back to Rivne Orthodox Christian community. Today Resurrection cathedral is a true example of religious unity, and here is why. The cathedral has two floors. The top floor is taken by Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church, while the lower floor is owned by Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate.
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Holy Assumption Church
Wooden Holy Assumption church in Rivne was built in 1756. The design of this church, constructed without a single nail, keeps to the Volynia school of wooden architecture. Today the church is considered as the oldest extant religious building in Rivne. Inside the church, visitors can see old icons and books. One of the icons was painted back in 1790.
St. Anthony`s Church (Philharmonic Hall)
The history of St. Anthony`s Roman Catholic church began in 1858 when the duke Lubomyrsky decided that he wanted to have a sacral building near his mansion. In Soviet era, the church was desacralized, and it still has such status. Now the historical building of St. Anthony`s church hosts Rivne State Philharmonic hall and organ hall.
Taras Shevchenko Park
Talking about worthy things to do in Rivne, we cannot skip visiting Taras Shevchenka park. This is one of the favorite places of Rivne dwellers and guests to rest and have fun. This park is a valuable monument of gardening and landscaping art, founded in the end of the XVIII century. Nowadays some of the park`s trees can boast their senior age of 150-200 years. The park has more than 160 species of trees and bushes including exotic ones from Japan, China, Central Asia and Far East. The park also impresses with a cascade of pools with fountains surrounded by willows.
“Swan`s Lake” Park
“Swan`s lake” park in the very heart of Rivne near Ustia River is the remaining part of the former homestead of Lubomyrsky duke family. Here you can see a lovely pond with many beautiful swans living in it. The park is a perfect place for a peaceful walk and for a romantic date. Few years ago, the city government decided to finance the archeological excavations in this area purposed to find the remains of Lubomyrsky family`s original castle.
Though Rivne is not a large touristic megacity like Lviv or Odesa, it surely has its own specific charm and many exciting places to see. Welcome!
Photo source: shutterstock.com, webpages of organizations mentioned above, rivne.church.ua, igotoworld.com, my.rv.ua, wikipedia.org.
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